Drag-out mechanism for furnaces



Nov. 2l, 1944. s, B BRrrTAlN 2,363,291

DRAG-OUT MECHANISM FOR FURNAGES Filed Feb. 2Q, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l wlTNEssEs: INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. A21, 1944.

WITNESSES:

S. B. BRITTAIN DRAG-OUT MECHNISM FOR FURACES Filed Feb. 20,1943

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY I NOV 2l, 1944- s. B. BR1TTA|N DRAG-OUT MECHANISM FOR FURNACES 5 sheets-sheet s Filed Feb. 20, 1943 INVENTOR 50ml/@A5, En o/n.

BY (Pw/eff ATTORNEY QdWITNl/ESSES:

:nections with the'l'iauling devices.

tion with thedrag-outmechanism. v

Patented Nov.r2l, 1944 DRAG-OUT ME'oHANlsl/Iy `FOR FURNAoEs' SamuelB. Brittain,`r Penn 'Ilownship,"Allegheny` County, Pa., assigner to Westinghouse'Elect-rh.:` "f&, Manufacturing -Coinpany,wlEast Pittsburgh',-

, Paga corporationof Pennsylvania Applicationrebruary 20, 1943,`seria1Nd. 476,656

" soleims. (omni-'472) invention ArelatesVito drag-out mechanisms 'forfurnaces and more particularlyto drag-out v'mechanisms for cary type furnacesfor annealing or heat treating such objects as armor plate, guns tof large caliber, etc.` .Y .l y.5

f A furnace. of this character is provided'with a bottomconstructed in theform of a car which is movably mounted on atraek so that it may bencved'into and out of the furnace. '.In'prac- V y y f'ti'ce, the 'car fis'y hauled out' of the furnace by .a 10 Preference may be hadvto the accmpanymgjdraw- Adrag-out mechanism, loaded or unloaded and 'then Ahandledback iritc the furnace by the dragou't mechanism. Also a furnace ofthis charactery i'sjusually very large,sometimes' as much as 60 v feetfin .length, andthe total load handled by it v 15 1 ,atene time may amount toas much as 800 tons.

. 1 Necessarily such enormous loads cause very severe v strains, distortioi'us,` etc., of the cars, the rails onl which the carsride, the supporting track foundal y v tlions, yand the previously used drag-out mechag2() AligA 4. S Sil/EW takn .along the, 1,1m?A IY-,IV 'Y r'iisms. Heretoforethis has Vseriously affectedthe r'furnaces and their operating mechanisms, by

ausing'misalignment of the drag-out mechanism aswell as their operating shafts and their conyOneolcject of my inventionis toeliminate thea separate foundation for the drag-outmechanisms .heretoforebelieved to vbe necessary andtoralso eliminate the,I necessity for lowspeed couplings,

head shafts, .and head shaft bearings in connecQ- kAnother' `object is-to provide a drag-out mechanism and means vfor mounting it by which it may be supporteddirectly bythe track rails andthe trackprail supporting `structure on..Which the .$35,

cars operate. f

i Another `object ist provide for absorbing. the f ,heavy chainA pull by integrallow-speedfend cap trunnions through'mounted bracketson .the ktrack will e located-at the y center'line4 of the gear unit and at the midpoint between theftrack railsVIK for the car,l and, therefore, eliminate the usual" lows'peed shaftextensions.

It is' also an object to provide' "a `drag-:out mechanisml which rshall be simple 'and inexpensive to construct, I install, operatevand maintainfin operation.

For a better understanding of the i,llvntion,

,.igspinwnich: .Y Y Figure 1v is a viewinfront velevation of'a furl vnace provided withmyi improved" dragQut mechanism,; f Fig. v2 lis r,a view in 'side 'elevation, partly in selcuon, of the furnace anddragi-out mecha- ...the gear' unit and hg means, .for mntint v'ill/I lstrated 'in Fig, 2,3136,` f f Fig.v 6 is an .enlarged plan ,view of r the reduoinggear unitshown in Fig;v 5 with the upper halfr ofthe housing removed. I

Referring more particularly to the4 drawings,y I. have illustratedan yannealing forfh'eat 'treating l 110fjfurnacel I0 `of the .car bottom .typlas provided i with a car I I. The car I-I'is provided With anele` vatedffront Wall I2 which operatesto close the furnacewhen'the car is inl its proper position inthe furnace.. The car ,Il may be movably supported by car .wheels r`(not shown). `or, by any suitableanti-friction means suchas a plurality of! rollers `I4 which are seated a pair of guide .rails l5 and I6 mounted'on. the underside of vthe car and a track comprisingapair vof railsk rails without causing any strains fromthechain Y4:0 I'I and I 8 and a pluralityof I-beamsZU and 2da'.

pull to pass through the walls of the housing of if vthe drag-out mechanism.

Another Objectis to provide a simplethreevpointr suspensionfor the drag-out,A mechanism `from the underside of the track which win 'elimi- 115 `nate any housing strainsoriginating from track "1 V distortions or [foundation settling andto alsoy eliminate the problem of possible misalignment of the drivingshafts of. the mechanism.

A further object is to provide adrag-outmech-A 5.0 ',anismin which the mounting brackets therefor may be easily and quickly aligned prior to the ,insulation ofthegear unit and driving motor.

A 'stillfurther Objectis to provide a drag-out .mechanism in which the chain driving sprocket 55 The rollers AIII are maintained a `proper distance apart by the use of spacing bars I9.Y The rail `I l. is seated onu the' I-beams V20 `whichA are' vfirmly .mounted upon a numberrof concrete piers 2l associated with the foundation of the. furnace It.

rollers I4 Comprisesa gear nreducing unit22, an'

electric motor23 for driving 4the gear unitanda egble drive member `Suchas a sprocket chain 2k?.

Operated by the gear i e The gear unit 22 is provided with a housing comprising a lower half 26 and an upper half 21 which are provided with outwardly extending flanges 28,and 29 at their horizontal central meeting point. A plurality of bolts 30 are provided for securely bolting the upper and the lower parts of the housing together. The reduction gearing mounted in the housing comprises a power pinion 32 mounted on a power shaft 33 in position to drive a gear wheel 34 fixed on one end of a shaft 35 on the other end of which is mounted a pinion 36 in position to mesh with a, driving gear wheel 31 fixedon one end of a shaft 38, on the other end portion of which is a pinion 39 disposed in position to engage and operate a gear wheel 48 xed by means .of` a suitable key 4| on one end portion of a drive shaft 42.

The gear shafts are mounted in parallel arrangement with each other and horizontally and transversely in the upper edge of the lower half of the housing in position to be clamped in their bearings by the upper half of the housing when it is bolted to the lower half of the housing. Each of the gear shafts is mounted in suitable roller bearings 45 which are protected and held in position by an oil cap 46 which is securely bolted to the upper and the lower housing by a plurality of cap'screws 41.

'I'he power shaft 33 is provided with a suit-4 able extended portion with which the shaft 5| of a driving `motor 23 maybe connected by means of a flexible joint 52. The motor 23 is mounted upon a supporting base 53 which is to be bolted on one side of lower half of the in roller bearings 55 and 56 ,seated in each side of the gear housing and at one end thereof. The roller bearing 55 is maintained in position by a bearing cap 51 which is firmly secured to' thev upper and the lower parts of the housing by a plurality of cap screws 58 which pass throughv an outer flange on the bearing cap and into housing. The roller bearing 56 is maintained in its correct position by a bearing cap 60 which is beams 20 and 20a. The hinged connections of the bar 1| and the rounded trunnion portions of the bearing caps provide a flexible three point suspension for the operating unit of the dragsecured to the other side of the gear housing by,

side of the track beams 2l) and 28a by a pairE of bearing brackets 65 and 61 (Fig. 3) at one end and by a supporting bar 1| at the other end. The hanger brackets are bolted to the underside of the track I-beams by a plurality of bolts 13 with their bearings turned inwardly to receive and rotatably support the outer rounded end portions |53 of the bearing caps 56 and 60, thus holding the front end of the gear unit firmly in position' underneath the track I-beams.

Each of the brackets 65 and 61 is provided with i a removable upper half cap 68 to facilitate lowering of gear unit 22 complete with trunnions 63 after brackets 65 and 61 have been aligned and installed. The lower end of the supporting bar 1| is hingedly mounted by a .bolt 14 in a pair of projections 15 and 16 on the opposite end of the gear unit housing, The upper end ofthe supporting bar 1| is secured by a bolt 11 between a pair of channel irons 18 which are mountedv transversely between the track supporting -I- out mechanism on the underside of the track, so that no binding action thereon will result from the strains normally placed upon the track and the foundation thereof by the car when it is heavily loaded. Furthermore, the supporting brackets 65 and 61 may be easily given their correct alignment when they are mounted on the underside of the track by using an aligning bar.

The sprocket chain 24 is mounted on a drive wheel such as a sprocket wheel 10 mounted on the central portion of the drive shaft 42. One end of the chain extends around the idler sprocket 19 toa bracket 80 underneath the front end of the car to which it is secured by suitable bolt 8|. The other end of the chain extends under an idler sprocket Wheel 82 and over an idler sprocket wheel 83 to al bracket 84 on the other end of the car to which it is attached by a bolt 85.

The idler sprocket 19 is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft 81, the outer ends of which are secured by a pair of holding brackets 88 mounted by a plurality of bolts 89 on the underside of the track I-beams 28 and 20a. The idler wheel 82 is mounted on a transverse shaft 90,

,the outer ends of which are secured by a pair of suitable depending brackets 9| and 92 atate the sprocket wheel 10, through the action of the pinion 32, gear wheel 34, shaft 35, pinion 36, gear wheel 31, shaft 38, pinion y39, gear wheel 40 'and the drive shaft 42, and thereby operatethe sprocket chain 24 to exert a pull on the bracket 84 and thereby move the car out of the furnace. After the car is unloaded, and loaded, it may be returned to its correct position vwithin the furnace by operating the motor -23 in the opposite directionto cause the sprocket chain 24 to exert a pull on the bracket 88 and thereby move the car into the furnace.

From the foregoing description in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that the drag-out mechanism comprises a single unit which may be easily dropped into position and mounted on the underside of the track structure so that it will not require a separate foundation and will not be subject to any severe distortions or strains which may be caused by the enormous loads carried by the furnace car. It will also be apparent that, with the three point suspension of the drag-out unit on the underside of the track structure, such distortions as may occur in the track will not affect the drag-out unit. It will be further apparent that the Ipull on the sprocket one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that modifications thereof and ,efidraeroufmeehrls'f fo'rhelegfih:@belong menace me miv weer,thg-fumaesompfising ahousing; aitrunnion extending from -ea'chi side of .the housing at one end thereoffapair'of brackets" mounted the l`underside of the trackand providedwith bearings for supporting lthe trunnions, a torque bar supporting theother end of the housing from the underside of the track, a

tween the trunnions and in axial alinement therewith, a power shaft rotatably mounted at lthe other end of the housing, a motor mounted on the housing for rotating the power shaft, gearing mounted in" the housing betweenv the power shaft and the drive shaft whereby rotatio-n of the power shaft causes `rotation of the drive shaft, a. plurality of idler sprocket wheels' mounted on the underside of the track, a driving sprocket wheel mounted on the central portion of the drive shaft, and a sprocket` chain disposed on the driving sprocket wheel and the idler sprocket wheels with its ends fastened to opposite ends of the car whereby rotation of the'mctor in one direction will haul the car out of the furnace and rotation in the opposite direction will haul the car into the furnace. i

2. In a furnace, a oar, a track forthe car, and

. a. drag-out mechanism for moving the car into and out ofthe furnacecomprising a housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted horizontally and transversely in one end ofthehousing, a trunwhereby Nrotationfor' the .f motor, iii-fone. direction rh'ulsitlie Carbutofthe .furnace an'd` rotation in thev opposite direction haulsthe car into v the fur- 4. In a furnace, fa' car, a track? 'for the..ca1 ,A a

drag-outunit'comprising a housing, a pair of bearings/disposed :one irr eachside of the housing adiaoentone end.` thereof, a vdrivevshaftro- Itat'ably' i mounted. in the bearings, a bearing cap mounted on the housing at each` of said bearings in position to cap that bearing, each of said bearing caps having a short trunnion shaft exdrive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing benion mounted 'on each side of the housing at the ends of the drive shaft, a pair of brackets mounted on the underside of the track andpro-vided with bearings for supporting the trunnions, a torque bar supporting the other end of the housing from the underside of thetrack, a power shaft rotatably mounted at the other end of the housing, a motor mounted on thehousing for rotating the power shaft, gearing mounted in the housing between the power shaft and the drive shaft whereby ro-tation of the power shaft, causesv rotationof the drive shaft, a plurality of idler wheels mounted on. the underside of the track, a drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft, and a fiexibledrive member disposed on the drive wheel and the idler wheels with its ends fastened to opposite ends of the car whereby rotation of the motor `in one direction hauls thecar out of the furnace and rotation in the opposite direction hauls the car into the furnace.

3. In a furnace, a car, a track for the car, and

Va, drag-out unit comprising a housing, a trun-k nion extending from each side of the housing at one end thereof, a pair of brackets mounted on the underside of the track and provided with bearings for supporting the trunnions, a torque bar for supporting the other end of the housing rotatably mounted in one end of the housing, a

power shaft rotatably mounted in the other end of with its ends fastened to; opposite ends of the car from the underside of the track, a drive shaft tending outwardly for use in providing a point of support'for the housing, a power shaft mounted in the housing, gearing connecting the power shaft and the drive shaft, a motor mounted on the housing for rotating the power shaft, a pair' ing, a power shaft and a drive shaft mounted in the housing, a motor mounted on the housing and connected to drive the power shaft, a plurality of speed vreducing gears mounted in the housing andconnecting the power shaft and thev drive shaft whereby rotation of the power shaft causes rotation of the drive shaft, a drive wheel fixed on the drive-n shaft, a flexible drive member disposed on' the drive wheel with its ends connected to oppositek ends of the car whereby rotation of the motorin one direction hauls the car out ofthejfurnace and rotation in the op-` posite direction'hauls the car into the furnace,

-and members depending from the track forr supporting the housing at only three points on the undersideof the track.`

6, A drag-out unit for a car type furnace, comprising a housing, a driveshaft rotatably mounted in a'horizontal and transverse position in one end of the housing; ay power shaft mounted in the opposite end of the housing, a pair of trunnions mounted on the sides of the housing, one at each end of the drive shaft for use in provid-f ing a line of support, a torque device for supporting the other end of the' housing, reducing gearing disposed between and connecting the power shaft and the drive shaft, and a motor mounted on the housing for rotating the power shaft to operate the gearing to rotate the drive shaft.

7. A drag-out unit fori a car type furnace, com-v prising afhousing, a pair of bearings disposed one in each side of the housing at one end thereof, a drive Vshaft rotatably mounted in the bearings in the housing, a bearing cap mounted on the housing at each of said bearings in position to cap that bearing, each of said bearing caps having a short ,trunnion shaft extending outwardly for use in providing a point of support for the housing, a torque bar for supporting the other end of the housing, apower shaft mounted inthe housing, [gearing connecting the power shaft and the drive shaft, and a motor mounted on the housing vforrotating the power shaft.

8. In a furnace, a car, a track for the car, a power unit for operating the car comprising a housing, a motor mounted on the housing and a be operated by the motor, and three members depending from the track for suspending and supporting' the power unit from only three points on the underside of the track. d

9. In a furnace, a car, a track for the car, a power unit for operating the car comprising a housing and a drive shaft and gearsL mounted in the housing to be operated by the motor, three .drive shaft and gears mounted in the housing'to 

